Knowing Your Target Audience

by Deanna Lilly
Bizness Concepts Web Design

Today you are dealing with four generations to which you have to market your advertising and products.  Each of these generations views a website differently.  They have different needs and desires, and it is your job to make sure they get what they want when they visit your site.

Although this information is directed mainly at website design, it can also be used for with your writing.  This information is presented in a very brief format and does not go into the detail of studies relating to color choices.  Please use this as a “guideline.”

MATURES • Duty – Scarification Generation

• Born between 1909 – 1945
• 57.8 Million
• 20.5% of the population
• Wealthiest Generation
• Economic Impact – $20 Trillion

Matures in the Workplace

• Are loyal to their employer and expect the same in return.
• Possess superb interpersonal skills.
• Are enjoying flextime arrangements today so they can work on their own schedule.
• Believe promotions, raises, and recognition should come from job tenure.
• Measure a work ethic on timeliness, productivity, and not drawing attention to themselves.

Matures in the Marketplace

• Have great faith in the nation’s institutions: people (i.e., Charlton Heston), companies, and the government.
• Demand quality. It is more important than speed or efficiency.
• Are loyal customers but aren’t afraid to shop around.
• Willingly follow the rules that have been established. They believe they are there for a reason.
• They don’t want to be on the cutting edge. They want something after it’s been proven.  No fancy customization.

Websites

• Useful information.
• Practical and full of factual data.
• Easy to use – read like a magazine (but not in columns).
• Stress value and quality and a reward for hard work.
• Monochromatic Blues – Blue and White – Red, White and Blue (minimal use of red), Greens and minimal use of black or gray (which reminds them of illness and death).

BOOMERS • Individuality –  “Me” Generation

• Born between 1946 – 1964
• Biggest generation US has seen
• 82.8 Million
• 29.4% of the population
• Economic Impact – $900 Billion

Boomers in the Workplace

• Believe in the champion, and evaluate themselves and others based on their work ethic.
• Work ethic for Boomers is measured in hours worked. Measuring productivity in those hours is less important.
• Believe teamwork is critical to success.
• Believe relationship building is very important.
• Expect loyalty from those they work with.

Boomers in the marketplace

• Are interested in products and services that will allow them to regain control of their time.
• Believe technology brings with it as many problems as it provides solutions.
• Want products and services that have been customized for them, the individual.
• Believe rules should be obeyed unless they are contrary to what they want; then they’re to be broken.
• Want products and services that will indicate to their peers that they’re successful.

Websites

• Relaxing and de-stressing
• Time Saving
• Things that appear to their kids (grandkids)
• Warm, rich muted colors, split-complimentary, triadic and tetradic – Double Complimentary combinations (think muted flower-power)

XERS • Skeptical, Reluctant

• Born between 1965 – 1978
• 58.9 million
• Make up 20.9% of population
• Economic impact $125 Billion

Xers in the workplace

• Shun the hard-core, super-motivated, do or die Boomer work ethic.
• Want open communication regardless of position, title, or tenure.
• Respect production over tenure.
• Value control of their time.
• Look for a person to whom they can invest loyalty, not a company.

Xers in the marketplace

• Can spot a phony a mile away.
• Rely on peer-to-peer referrals more than any other generation.
• Want options; plans B, C, and D.
• Embrace technology as a way to maintain control of their lives.
• Want to be in control of the sale.

Websites

• Excitement, media and products with attitude, global influences, well designed.
• Innovative, clever, humor, irreverence, peer information and word of mouth campaigns, fun.
• Grey tones, black and white, or extreme bright bold colors variations, split-complimentary, triadic and tetradic – Double Complimentary combinations

MILLENNIALS / ECHO BOOMERS • Coddled

• Born between 1979 – 1988
• 80.5 million
• 28.6% of population
• Economic influence $105 Billion

Millennials in the Workplace

• Search for the individual who will help them achieve their goals.
• Want open, constant communication and positive reinforcement from their boss.
• Find working with someone of the Mature generation easy to do.
• Search for a job that provides great, personal fulfillment.
• Are searching for ways to shed the stress in their lives.

Millenials in the Marketplace

• Want to be like their peers but with a unique twist.
• Don’t want to be hurried.
• Will consider a company’s products if the company is known for their altruistic attitude.
• Are loyal consumers.
• Search for the unique and hard to find items.

Websites

• Exciting websites.
• Extreme or bright colorssuch as  cyan blue, chartreuse green.
• E-commence opportunities that don’t require a credit card.
• Humor and irony, funny, quirky, never trivialize.
• Direct messages (“Just show me the jeans.”)
• Messages that appear skewed or slightly out of order.
• Ethnicity, age peers, racial diversity.
• Anything to make them feel older.